Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Architecture, by Johan Meyer
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Here, at the establishment of the archbishopric in 1152,
stood Olav Kyrre’s Christ Church, which was not calculated to
satisfy the special requirements of a metropolitan church, and
therefore underwent thorough alterations.
Archbishop Eystein (1160—1188) was especially active in this
work. In 1180, for political reasons, he was obliged to flee to
England. Just at that time, the choir of Canterbury Cathedral
was being rebuilt by William of Sens and William the
Englishman, with the pointed arch and an exceedingly beautiful expression
of form, which was the introduction of the Early English style.
The east end of the cathedral terminates in the horse-shoe-formed
St. Thomas’s corona, which was probably the model for the octagon
in Trondhjem.
Evidently with fresh impressions from England, Eystein
determined, on his return in 1183, to rebuild the choir of Christ Church.
Only the lower part of it, and of the octagon at the east end
with its aisle and chapels, show Eystein’s transition style. The upper
parts are fully developed early Gothic, and the arch in front of
the octagon has traceries characteristic of the 14th century. The
roof of the aisleless transept is open, while the choir was covered
with richly ornamented cross-vaulting. The chapter-house, north
of the choir, must have been erected before 1179. The material
used throughout the church is soapstone, the beautiful green
shade in its colour being brought out by the employment
everywhere of white marble pillars.
The extreme readiness with which soapstone lends itself to
the carver’s art, has called forth the luxuriance of detail of which
the illustrations give examples.
As will be seen from the ground-plan, the cathedral is a
central-towered cruciform church. In size it equals those of
medium size in England, although the breadth and height are
comparatively greater, and the length comparatively less than
is usual in England. (Length 325 ft., greatest span, 32 ft.
[west nave].)
Both in this and in our other stone buildings, there are many
peculiarities in detail, that point to a native development of style
in the 12th, and still more the 13th century.
Closely connected with the late Norman tendency in
Trondhjem, there are a number of interesting aisleless parish churches
in the district round, all of the customary shape, with
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